Holly and Donna Read are the mother and daughter duo of Crimson & Clover. It’s a small modern retro shop in Hither Green, London, a city suburb, with a loyal locals and a varied customer base.
Donna is a seasoned textile designer and a renewed antiques dealer, with her design credits including Barneys NY. She creates anything from sumptuous scarves to luxurious homewares in her signature velvet botanicals. Her eldest (and somewhat begrudgingly mini-me), Holly, is an illustrator and avid vintage buyer. Together they have fused their interests and have curated a retro/ modern haven with a strong aesthetic and locally led design.
Everyday: Across The Board from Rocket68
“Bold, vibrant designs with a vintage aesthetic, which suits our shop to a tee. The Miami range’s hot colours did particularly well over the summer and the ‘Flight of Fancy’ birds are a current feathery fave!”
Cute: Cuckoo and Fauna from Paperbird
“Adorable scratchy illustrations that seem to do very well for us. The endearing sweet images are great for kids and the softer events.”
Humour: Animal from Sally Scaffardi
“Chortle worthy and one of the rare ranges that appeals to the less frequent (but no less important!) male consumer. The ‘Pulled Pork’ and ‘Slow Gin’ are particularly memorable designs.”
Art: Paint from Paperbird
“Abstract pieces that offer a little mellow amongst the hectic, often spunky, card illustrations.”
Contemporary: Across The Board from Betty Etiquette
“Modern calligraphic designs with a sensibility and light of touch that sit nicely with the largely illustrative/arty cards we offer. We’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Breton collection which is looking magnifique!”
Handmade/Hand-Finished: Handmade origami cards from Anuradha Deacon Varma.
“Offering up something different and tactile with the human touch.”
Children’s: Mischief from I Drew This
“Very popular with our 4ft somethings! Enchanting drawings with lovely colour work and variety.”
Giftwrappings: Across The Board from Cambridge Imprint
“Strong graphic designs on quality thick paper. We love the ‘harking back to tradition’ and nature of the prints (screen printed/William Morris-inspired) and they’re super eye-catching and very commented upon within the shop. So much so, that we’ve taken to papering the backs of cupboards and doors with the stuff. The over-sized cards are fab too.”
